Demon's Deadline
by Fabricated-Sky
Summary: Sometimes, power isn't enough. Sometimes, your only chance is to sneak and hide in packs like rats, and hope you can find an opening to strike...and when the demon hunters come calling, that's the only option Mao and his "friends" have.
1. 1: Fire of Unknown Origin

**Residents of the Disgaea Fanfiction Community: Hello! This is your Fabricated-Sky speaking, presenting you with her first Disgaea 3 fanfic and current project. It's an effort I sincerely hope you'll enjoy (and review), so please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show~!**

**Oh, but before we begin...the disclaimers. I do not own Disgaea 3, or anyone else in the Disgaea universe. I don't even own the chapter titles (if you can figure out where they're from, you are most definitely amazing). Just a few characters and the plot. Now, read on!**

* * *

><p>"Ah, the Evil Academy of the Netherworld! Isn't it…splendid?"<p>

The sarcasm was not lost to those who listened.

Scopes were adjusted, zooming in to peer through the windows. Throughout the chaotic array of buildings, students ran through the halls, and teachers gave lessons –or, more often, ignored their students brawling in the middle of the classroom. Someone threw a prinny through a bathroom window, and it fell for hundreds of feet before finally hitting the ground with a mighty explosion, taking out three students who were late for class.

"Move. I want to see."

"Wait your turn. I still haven't found the Dean."

Scopes kept adjusting and surveying the grounds. Some parts of the school didn't even resemble buildings –halls of ice, sanctuaries built entirely of books, a classroom in the heat of a volcano. How peculiar, how utterly inhuman!

"Do you even remember what the Dean looks like?"

"Short. White hair, red eyes. Generally wears glasses, an oversized red coat, white shorts, shoes and gloves. Preferred method of combat involves swordplay, freezing opponents, and the occasional explosion via demonic powers." A soft chuckle. "You seem to underestimate me."

"You know as well as I do what is at stake here. We can't afford mistakes." A pause to consult a pocketwatch; 11:15 AM –by Human standards, at least. Who knew how time flowed in this Netherworld?

"I'll let you know when I see the Overlord and his compatriots. How about you make yourself useful and check on the others?"

A silent nod, with no response. A hand rested on a gun's hilt, but it was hard not to keep a finger on the trigger. But this was for reconnaissance, not a battle, and an assassination attempt from here would be futile, at best.

And so the Evil Academy was placed unknowingly placed under surveillance. The reasons, for the time being, were unclear. But soon, all too soon…

No more demons. No more Evil Academy. Nothing.

* * *

><p>Mao didn't mean to be staying out of the sight of the scopes. It just so happened that the windows in his room were drawn as he continued his research. The room was as much of a filthy sty as it ever was, with Mao at his desk surrounded by piles of manga, video games, and old boxes of takeout. The room was lit by one lamp and one TV, which was continuing its permanent marathon of old superhero movies.<p>

"They didn't get my face right in that one. Too squat. And what's with that nose?"

Mao absently grabbed a soda can and tossed it over his shoulder. As he calculated, it hit Super Hero Aurum square in the jaw. "Quiet, before I decide to tamper with your vocal chords again."

"Go ahead. Then I'll just annoy you with the voice of a cackling little girl instead of this one. Or are you going to attempt surgery on a prinny again without blowing it up?"

Mao ignored the chatter, simply filing "Remind Aurum Who's in Charge Around Here" in his mental To-Do list. A rather long list, he had to admit.

Stretching out in his chair, Mao went over his papers. His current project was deciding where a demon really did stand in comparison to both the Hero Code upheld by Almaz and his own Demon Code of a few years prior. Exactly how dastardly, how evil, was too much for a demon? And what were the limits on "demonic goodness?" Did they mirror the limits on evil? Was there even a difference between the limits of Demon morality and Human morality?

The questions hadn't left him alone. Perhaps he was still trying to figure out why this "love" and "justice" and crap were so important. The words rang a chord in his heart now, he knew that. And in his mind, he knew what they had to mean, but when he tried to put the feelings into coherent thoughts and words…nothing.

Of course, as was his luck, Mao was interrupted once more as someone began to knock on his door. He peered over his pile of books and said, "Well? Whaddya' want?"

"Mao? You know what time it is!"

At the sound of Beryl's voice, Mao glanced at the clock. Or, he would've, had he been able to find it. "Time for you to get back to your blood drives and crap like that?"

There was a huff from the other side of the door. "Mao! This is important!"

A beat of silence passed. "Fine. Come in."

The door opened, and Rasberyl wandered in. She had to wade through the various piles, and she was barely higher than the manga pile behind Mao. Much to Beryl's disappointment –and Mao's amusement- she hadn't grown much over the past two years.

"Has anyone ever told you that it might be a good idea to clean in here?"

Mao focused his gaze on his paper, even though he was simply doodling on this page. "Let me think…you. Every single day."

"Persistence is one of the many marks of a badass." Beryl smiled, as she snuck past the piles and sat on Mao's desk. She raised an eyebrow at Mao's scribbles. "Hard at work, or hardly working?"

"Are you going to give me today's update, or not?" Mao growled, as he snatched the paper out of sight.

"Of course." As she did every day, Beryl leaned back and began to announce the day's events. "Let's see…we have only a twenty-percent attendance rate, and…"

As usual, this was the point where Mao zoned her out. Mao certainly didn't let her in at the same time every day to hear about how the students weren't attending classes, ignored all the safety rules, and made fools out of the teachers. All he had to do was step outside his room once in a red moon to see how well his school was doing. The only reason he let her in was…well, it was either that, or she'd complain about his lack of attention, and then she'd fill in the time not talking to him with blood drives, canned food drives, and every other drive she could possibly think of. Better to limit her delinquent chaos any way he could.

But then, he heard a familiar name mentioned. "Hold on. Repeat that last bit."

Raspberyl sighed, though she probably expected that Mao wasn't listening. "A few of our winged students disappeared from the school grounds in the middle of the day…as did Ms. Machiko. You know her daily flight around the school?"

Mao smirked. "Oh yes. Sometimes, I even wait with the students to catch her shirt when she throws it off at three o'clock."

There was something different about the glare Beryl shot him this time, but it passed before Mao could figure out what it was. "Right. Well, she disappeared in the middle of her flight. The other missing students were noticed to be gone around the same time."

Mao shrugged and placed his feet on the table, right next to where Beryl was sitting. "I think it's pretty obvious what happened, then. The students decided to join Ms. Machiko in her little…escapades."

"But they haven't come back yet, and school's out. That's what worries me."

Much as Mao wanted to pass it off as nothing –which it probably was- it meant Beryl would spend the next few days staring at him with those big magenta eyes of hers full of tears –or, more likely, fire. "Fine. Send Master Bigster out to look –those wings of his work as more than just a cape, right?"

Beryl managed to laugh at this, a smile back on her face. "I'm pretty sure. Want me to look too?"

"Beryl, you can't fly."

"Yes I can! See?" Beryl stood up on the desk, opening her wings. Unlike the rest of her, her wingspan had actually grown in the two years since Mao became Overlord. She began to flap them, but only managed to get a few inches off the desk.

"I've seen goblins fly better than that!" The Super Hero in the back piped up. "And goblins don't fly!"

He laughed, but only until Mao pegged him with a few hundred rapidly-tossed manga books to the head. That would teach him to keep his trap shut.

Beryl ignored them as she hopped back to the floor. "I'll go talk to Master Big Star, then. Anything else you need?"

He was tempted to make some inane retort, Mao shook his head. "That'll be good. Let me know what he finds."

With a nod, Beryl said her goodbyes and departed the room. As she shut the door, the room was bathed in darkness once more.

"You are horrible at taking advantage of opportunities," Aurum commented.

Mao shoved all Beryl-related thoughts aside, and spent the next few hours finding the most efficiently painful way to staple a Super Hero's mouth shut.

* * *

><p>Night was closing, and Sapphire was finishing up her preparations for the night's dance. Not that she liked attending dances, but as Queen, it was expected of her to attend all courtly functions. At least Almaz was a surprisingly good dancer, as she discovered at their wedding.<p>

No, the dancing itself wasn't bad. It was the hours of preparation with the dress, hair, and makeup. Sapphire had to force herself to hold still as one of the ladies in waiting, Miss Abernathy, convinced the queen's hair to accept the crown. Why did it always take so long to make it so the crown didn't fall out of her hair?

"Just about done ma'am," Miss Abernathy commented through a mouth full of hairpins. "Excited about tonight's dance?"

"Oh, as always," Sapphire replied with a sigh, as she began to swing her legs back and forth. "Share a few words and drinks with the stuffy nobles, ignore everyone staring at me when I dance…it'll be lovely."

"I'm sure this one will be better than the rest !" Miss Abernathy chirped. "Both you and King Almaz dance better each time!"

"It's not that," Sapphire argued, legs swinging faster –to Miss Abernathy's obvious disappointment, judging by the scowl on her weathered face. "It's just the same-old, same-old. Say, what if the dance was invaded by a throng of Chernobog? Or even some Eringer, that'd be exciting…"

Miss Abernathy tsk'ed and shook her head. "And put the royal heads at risk? Dear, you don't have to fight anymore. You're safe in your kingdom –and dare I say, that should be excitement enough." She put the finishing touched in the hair, and tentatively removed her hands. Amazingly, everything stayed in place. "Perfect! Now, for your necklace-"

"I've already got one." Sapphire stood up and went to her dressing table and opened the drawer, removing a necklace with a crescent moon in the center.

Miss Abernathy cooed at the sight. "Why my lady, it's splendid! Wherever did you find it? Was it your mother's, perhaps?"

"Nope." Sapphire sat back on the bed, so Miss Abernathy could help her with the clasp on the back. "It's actually a Lunar Orb I acquired in the Netherworld. It looks cute and helps protect against magical attacks –pretty nifty, huh?"

Miss Abernathy's fingers trembled at the mention of the Netherworld –or perhaps it was just Sapphire's imagination. "I see. Speaking of which, may I make a suggestion?"

"Go ahead. Just keep in mind that if I don't approve, I have permission to slice your throat with a pen knife." When Miss Abernathy froze, Sapphire simply laughed. "I'm kidding! I'd use a chainsaw to make sure I got the job done. Anyway, what were you going to say?"

It took a few moments for Miss Abernathy to speak again. "My queen, is it really wise to visit the Netherworld so often?"

"Of course." Sapphire answered without thinking, having given this explanation many times before –even though it was only part of the reason. "Our visits help build strong ties with the citizens of the Evil Academy and the surrounding areas. With their allegiance, not only do we have allies in times of war, but we suffer from far less demon attacks than before."

"But to visit so often…?"

With the Lunar Orb now clasped around her neck, Sapphire stood up and turned to Miss Abernathy. "It just so happens that demons aren't bad people. The Overlord and some of his staff are friends of ours –it is because of them that Almaz and I are here, together, to this day."

Now, Sapphire examined herself in the mirror; sparkling blue dress, silver crown, and lunar orb…she was set. Oh, how Almaz would glow upon seeing her! Granted, he always did, whether she was coated in dresses or blood. No wonder they were married.

"One last thing!" Miss Abernathy called as Sapphire slipped into her shoes. "Are you going to tell the king about…_that_ yet?"

With a wink, Sapphire put a gloved finger to her lips. "I'm waiting until tonight, after the ball. Make sure no one's in the room when I tell him?"

"You shall have the utmost privacy, my queen."

For Sapphire, that was good enough. Finally prepared, Sapphire opened the door and strode to the ball…but she couldn't help but wishing she were heading to something more, regardless of the circumstances.

* * *

><p>Both the Human World and the Netherworld gave way to night. Some were awake, busy with "research" and other duties. Some danced away the night, and some simply went to sleep, minds abuzz with the bliss of unconsciousness and the possibilities of tomorrow.<p>

Mr. Champloo's mind, unlike others, was filled with the recipe of a new dish. Sautéed Cockatrice with Mushroom Sauce. In his mind, it sounded like an explosion of taste…but first, he had to try it out.

The hour was nearing midnight, and Champloo already had most of the ingredients. The cockatrice was dead –he hoped, considering how many times he punched it in the head already- the oven was hot, and the spices were all laid out. Now, all he needed were the mushrooms, and he kept a fresh batch out back, behind the Home Ec building.

But as he went to collect those mushrooms, Mr. Champloo saw something red blink out of the corner of his eye. He turned toward the shed, where a small red light flashed on the ground.

"Oho! And what might you be?" Champloo wandered over and crouched next to the light, unsure in the darkness what it was. Then he picked it up, and his blood froze in his veins –but it couldn't be, could it?

He lifted it up, a contraption shaped like a suitcase. No, it was a suitcase; just one with a red light on top. And…something metal with numbers illuminated in that crimson light, slowly counting down.

Yes, it could be, and it was. It was a bomb.


	2. 2: Cities on Flame

To say that Mao ever went to bed earlier than midnight wasn't just a lie; it was flat-out blasphemy. He most definitely wasn't sleeping when his phone rang; he was just…resting his eyes, after hours of staring at papers with low light and glasses long due for replacement. Not. Sleeping.

Still, it took Mao a few seconds to remind himself that he was in his room, not defeating giant behemoths out of Endless Fantasy XXVI, and that his alarm wasn't going off, but the phone was. The Overlord groped around in the darkness before finding the source of his sudden alertness, not recognizing the number. While he shouldn't have opened it, as punishment for daring to interrupt him this late, he answered anyway.

"This is Mao, and you'd better have a damn good reason for calling. I'm in the middle of-"

"Boom! Like an oven in the heat of August about to explode, this isn't the time!"

Mao blinked, staring aimlessly at the darkness of his room. Mr. Champloo? Calling him? He wasn't even aware that Champloo had a phone, as opposed to just randomly popping up out of nowhere. That, and for once, the Home Economics teacher sounded frazzled, to say the least.

"What is it? Something go foul in the kitchen?"

"Mao, you gotta' listen to me, and stay calm." Unlike how Champloo sounded right now. "Someone's placed timed bombs around the school."

Had Mao been able to get his mouth to work, he would've spoken, screeching about how this was impossible, no one would dare. Instead, he just gripped his phone tighter.

"I'm not sure how many there are, but I can't dispose all of 'em, and they're set to go off at midnight. You've got to make sure everyone's out of the side buildings. I've got the center of campus and my wing secured, but-"

"Why are there bombs around my school?" Mao interrupted. His voice was far weaker than he'd ever admit, but under the circumstances, that was the least of his worries.

"I don't know, boom! Just get on the intercom!"

Mao nodded slowly, as his eyes finally found the missing clock. It read 11:54 PM. Six minutes.

"…Mao?" Champloo's voice was calmer this time, but still harried; Mao could imagine him running around the school's perimeter, rushing to grab each bomb. "Sometimes, the dish is daunting, and we can't find the recipe to save our life. In those times, go with what you know. Improvise the rest." A pause. "It should come out fine."

"Right. Yes sir."

The phone clicked off in his ear, and Mao let the phone drop. By the time it hit the floor, Mao was already running to his office. Hopefully, he could get to the intercom in time to alert those still on campus –those few students who lived at the school, or the staff that never left like Mr. Champloo or the prinnies.

After that, he could worry about what was going on. And why.

* * *

><p>Master Big Star saw the school explode. In fact, he knew about the impending explosion for hours before it happened. Unfortunately, being bound and gagged as he was, he was just left to watch with the impending knowledge of the Evil Academy's doom.<p>

He was watching now, caged and in chains on the cliff where his captors made their camp. He could see the smoke rising, but amazingly enough, a few buildings were intact. The bombs were mostly set around the main campus, but the core buildings, such as the Dean's Office, still stood.

_"Someone must have realized the situation, at least,"_ Big Star thought to himself with a sigh of relief. _"For that, I am glad. Now, how to report back…"_

"Damn it! Why isn't this evil stain completely leveled?" A harsh male voice rang throughout the camp, though with his back turned to everyone else, Master Big Star was unable to see him. "Cinder! You better have a damn good reason why those eyesores are still standing!"

A calmer voice replied, "It seems some of my bombs were discovered. That's the price for larger firepower; easier to notice."

"Notice, my ass. I told you, you should've lowered the time limit. You know you can get out in time, and if you can't, well…"

"Enough talk." This voice was female, and Master Big Star winced at the sound. That was the woman who shot him down. Sad as it sounded, it was as easy as two bullets, one through each wing. Much as he prided his snowy wings, they ripped like the petals of white roses, leaving him to fall to this…dreadful captivity.

_"But why? It's fairly obvious that their goal is to eradicate the school and its inhabitants. So, why am I spared?"_ Once more, Master Big Star tried to squirm out of his chains, but the chains only rattled, and pain filled his torn wings. _"Information, perhaps? No; I would give my life before betraying my fellow students. That is the duty of the Sophomore Class Leader, after all."_

The voices were hushed now; they must be speaking in a group. Master Big Star wondered how many there were; he'd been mostly unconscious once he hit the ground, and the few he had seen were wearing full sets of armor and masks. Not one of them had revealed their faces, though judging from their forms and voices, they were at least humanoid in nature. But were they other demons? That couldn't be right; why would they attack the Evil Academy like this?

Before he could wonder any further, his thoughts were stalled by something hot against the back of his neck. Warm air, and the sound of something clutching the bars right behind him. Something snarled, as something wet –drool? blood?- dripped onto his wings.

"Look at this little demon. Isn't it so…fragile looking?" The voice was right behind him, right in his ears. Worse; despite its raspy whisper of a voice, he understood it.

"Psyche. It's not your play toy. We need it to track down the others."

There was a low creak, like swords being pushed to their breaking point. The warm air was closer now, and the drool –he hoped it was drool, it had to be drool, please let it be drool- was sliding down his neck.

"It can do that. We let it fly. I chase it. Either it finds the other demons first, and I catch them, or I catch it, and the demons come to find out why."

Had Master Big Star been able to speak, he would have shrieked as something sharp stabbed into his neck and ran down his spine. Whatever was behind him, it began to growl and snuffle, as if it was smelling the blood welling up from the new wound.

"No. You can go play with the moths –those should be fun enough for you. Crunch those, but this one stays alive. For now."

The claws stayed for a moment –in fact, to Master Big Star, it seemed like they dug in even deeper. But with a whine, the sharpness disappeared, leaving nothing but pain and blood mixed with drool running down his back. A breeze bit into the exposed wound, causing the Sophomore Class Leader to shiver. There was only one thought on his mind now.

Escape.

* * *

><p>Opposed to the Evil Academy, it was a peaceful night at Almaz and Sapphire's kingdom. Almaz had his arm around his wife's waist as they meandered back from the dance, still laughing about how ridiculous it all was. Sapphire in particular seemed pleased, practically aglow with joy.<p>

Yes, Almaz thought to himself, it couldn't get any better. Here he was, married to his princess –and their love for each other was still strong after two years! Plus, the kingdom was running smoothly, and he still got to visit his friends in the Netherworld. Dare he say these past two years were the best of his life thus far?

Granted, Sapphire had been a bit…restless the past few weeks. Perhaps it was time to visit the Netherworld again, let Sapphire beat a few heads in, have a dose of adventure, and head back.

Almaz decided to bring the idea up soon, as he opened the bedroom door for Sapphire. She giggled with a mock curtsy, before glancing at the room. She winked, and the servants filed out and off to their chambers. Almaz raised an eyebrow; they usually didn't do that unless Sapphire wanted some privacy for the night. Meaning…

"I've got something important to tell you," Sapphire told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But it's got to be a secret…think you can keep it?"

Almaz leaned in and softly kissed her lips. "I'm pretty sure I can. How about we step inside and-"

"Almaz! Sapphire! Gah, where the hell are you?"

The royal couple froze for a moment before glancing inside. The lavish room was empty of all life, but the TV was on. And Mao was on the screen, covered in burn marks and with his glasses askew.

_"Of all the times for him to interrupt…"_ It hadn't been Almaz's choice for the communication device to the Netherworld to be placed in the bedroom, but Mao had installed it when no one was looking, and despite all attempts to move it, it always ended up back in the bedroom. Either Mao thought everyone used their bedrooms as a home base like he did, or he secretly kept tabs on the royal couple while they slept. Almaz made sure not to think too much on the possibility of that last option.

"We're over here Mao," Sapphire stated as she wandered in. Despite her cheerful tone, she was definitely annoyed; Almaz could tell by the tenseness of her body and the way she placed her hands on her hips. "It's a little late for a chat, isn't it?"

"You think I would call just to chat? You humans are so…" Mao sighed, and as Almaz joined his wife, his spirits began to drop. Mao didn't just look annoyed; his eyebrows were knit in frustration, his teeth were clenched, and he wasn't even wearing his coat. That, and there was smoke billowing through Mao's office, and out one of the windows…

"Mao?" Almaz asked. "Please tell me you didn't blow up the Netherworld with one of your experiments."

"I didn't." A pause. "Somebody else did."

"What?"

Mao slumped into a chair. "Somebody planted bombs around the school. Thanks to Champloo and Raspberyl, we got most everyone out, and some of the damage was averted, but…" He was fidgeting now, running a hand through his ash-laden hair. "I never predicted this happening. Me, someone with my 1.8 million E.Q. And I have no idea who's doing this or why."

"So you want us to help." Sapphire burst into a smile. "We'd be glad to! Wouldn't we, Almaz?" Almaz bit his lip and simply nodded. "Don't you worry Mao; we'll be over in a jiffy. No one can stand up to us when we're together!"

With that, Sapphire ran over to her closet to pack. Almaz shrugged; well, he'd been thinking about a Netherworld trip, hadn't he? He took a step closer to the TV and said, "You have any leads, Mao?"

"Just that some of the flying students, Ms. Machiko, and Master Big Star have all gone missing in the past ten hours." Mao straightened in his seat. "Don't think I'm calling because I _need_ your help in figuring this out. It's just that, strategically speaking, with both your fighting skills and your knowledge of the human world-"

"I get it Mao. What're friends for?" For once, Mao didn't try to correct him on the 'friends' bit. Almaz realized having the school bombed must be bad, but he hadn't realized it could be bad enough to quell Mao's arguments. "Just…promise me you'll be careful, alright?"

"Demons are made to break promises." Mao stood up, adjusting his glasses. He lowered his voice and added, "But risking myself would be foolish. Don't worry; I can care for myself." With that, the screen went black.

While the night had taken a turn for the worse, the royal couple didn't waste any time with packing. In fact, everything was ready in under ten minutes, with both of them wearing their strongest equipment and wielding their best weapons.

When they tried to open the door, however, it was locked.

"I'm sorry, my lord and lady, but I'm afraid you cannot pass."

"What? Miss Abernathy?" Sapphire banged her fist against the door. "Miss Abernathy, this is an emergency! The Overlord of the Netherworld specifically asked for our help!"

"I'm sorry, but you cannot fathom what's going on in the Netherworld right now. It's for the good of our world –and I cannot let you get caught amongst the losing side."

_"What is she talking about?"_ Almaz ran to the window, only to find that it was also locked, with wards just past the glass. They were wards he recognized; these were magical safeguards, designed to keep anything out –or in this case, in. Not even Mao had been able to pass them, the one time he tried.

Sapphire had already torn down the door with an axe, but the wards were in the doorway as well. Miss Abernathy watched them from the hallway, her worn face serene in a way he'd never seen her. No fuss or worry over the king and queen, just…calm.

"It's no use trying to escape," She continued. "And don't you worry; the kingdom shall run fine in your absence. We have already told the kingdom that the two of you have taken a trip to another country to consult the doctor about Queen Sapphire's condition, and Sapphire's uncle is temporarily in charge of the throne. Within a few days, the Evil Academy shall be gone, and life can resume as it should be."

With that, Miss Abernathy curtsied, low enough that Almaz feared –or was it hoped, at this point?- that she'd never get up. "I bid you good night, dears. I'll have breakfast waiting for you in the morning." And with that, she departed the hallway.

Sapphire screamed after her and continued to attack the wards with her axe. Almaz simply sunk onto the bed, watching with a blank expression as he came to terms with the situation. They were locked in the bedroom. The Netherworld was in danger. The kingdom thought they were gone to…

"Sapphire? I think you should put the gun down…you'll run out of bullets." His mind began to race as the Queen sighed and put down her weapons. What was the condition that Miss Abernathy mentioned, and why would it need a doctor? Was it bad? Had Sapphire contracted some sort of illness during their last romp in the Netherworld?

Almaz didn't need to ask, however. He got the answer as soon as Sapphire sat next to him and delivered the news she meant to give before Mao's interruption.

"I suppose now would be a bad time to tell you I'm pregnant, wouldn't it?"


	3. 3: Don't Turn Your Back

**Hello again! I hope you've been enjoying this so far~! By now, you may have noticed that I don't post Authors Notes often. And, due to my strange internet connection, I haven't gotten to reply to reviews much. Either way, I thank you all for your support thus far! Time for even more fun!**

* * *

><p>Once Mao switched off the transmission to Almaz and Sapphire, he stood there and watched the black, empty screen. Smoke seeped through the window, and he could hear the crackles of flames and the calls of demons in the distance. He really should go out there and continue getting students out. It was his duty as Overlord to keep them safe.<p>

"Mao, there you are! I was wondering where you'd gone off to!" The door swung open as Raspberyl entered, almost at a run. Under lighter circumstances, Mao might've teased her about her "honorable tendencies." Today, he didn't even spare her a glance.

"It's looking better than we expected," Beryl continued, now standing just at his elbow. "We're pretty sure most everyone's out, and overall, the damage isn't that severe. Thanks to your warnings, the areas that took the most damage were completely evacuated." When she didn't get a response, Beryl stood on her tiptoes, attempting to peer into Mao's eyes. "Mao?"

"I hear ya'." Mao turned and strode out of the office; Beryl followed suit. "So, tell me what did get damaged."

"Most of the outer campus. At least half the dorms in the west sector are completely blown to smithereens. Mr. Champloo got the bombs around here, so the only damage we really got is a bit of fallen debris from the Senior Classrooms."

"The seniors got hit too?" Mao paused to poke his head out a window; indeed, the floating classrooms above were charred at best, many of them tilted with chunks of stone and plaster already gone. "I'm surprised our magical defenses didn't absorb any of the damage."

"That's the thing –they did." Mao began walking again, and Raspberyl had to almost-run again in order to catch up. "If it weren't for the spells and wards already set up at the school, we'd be completely destroyed right now. That's the only reason most of the community isn't wrecked in the spots where we didn't get the bombs out."

"But all the magic's out now?"

Raspberyl didn't want to nod, but she had to be honest. Watching Mao, she wondered how he was able to keep his face so blank and controlled. Since when was he able to control his outrage so well?

Another chunk of the senior classrooms fell. It exploded in a flash of green light before it even passed the roof. Mao shoved his hand in his pocket and kept walking.

"Alright. I've got a plan." Raspberyl matched Mao's pace as he began to explain. "We need anyone with even a scrap of magic to recast out defenses. All the muscle will go toward clearing the worst of the debris. The ranged fighters will search the area for anything suspicious, or anyone still trapped. Everyone else goes home, and stays home until I find who did this."

"Until _we_ find out who did this." When she didn't get a response, Beryl sidestepped some debris and continued, "You may be Overlord, but you don't have to go this alone, Mao. Your friends are here for you."

Did Beryl imagine it, or did Mao stumble at that? Whether or not he did, he stopped, pushing up his glasses to cover his eyes.

"Heh. Almaz basically said the same thing."

"That's because he's your friend too. We all are. You know that."

Mao didn't move on this time. Beryl wondered what caught his attention this time, and followed his gaze out another window. The battlefield he'd fought Master Big Star at for the first time. Everything was ablaze, from the watchtowers-turned-funeral-pyres, to the grass itself. It almost resembled a field and forest made entirely of flames, shining through the night.

"I don't know what to do."

"Huh?" Raspberyl glanced at Mao's face again, but couldn't quite catch his expression by the angle she was at. "But you just said you had a plan."

"That's short term. In the long run, I have no clue." Mao's fists were clenched, and shaking in his pockets. "I don't even know where to begin calculating this. Do I secure the students first, or make sure the buildings are safe? When do I go after the perpetrators? Where can I even find them?"

Mao waved one hand at the burning field, and for a moment, it was encased in a Giga Ice spell. It almost immediately melted, which did little to douse the fire.

"All these people are counting on me, and what can I do? I'm an Overlord, not a Hero. What do I…"

Raspberyl's fingers were suddenly pressed against his lips. His eyes widened, red staring at magenta.

"You're a hero just by helping, Mao." Beryl removed her hand and tried to smile, even if it didn't fully reach her eyes. "You can't burn out now. There's people still depending on you. And don't worry if you don't know…nobody knows the solution to everything."

Mao bit his lip, gaze floating back out the window at the burning fields.

"Me? Burn out? Overlords don't burn out, Beryl… Mao raised his hand again, pointing once more at the field. This time, the effect was like dumping whole icebergs onto the flames, courtesy of the Omega Ice spell. The flames lapped at the ice, but while the ice melted, the flames died down faster. The field was soon nothing more than ash mixed in with stagnant melted icecaps.

"…We just burn brighter to blow away the competition. Now, come on. Your job is to round up the mages, Beryl."

Raspberyl watched as her rival strode away, and this time, she did manage to smile. Then she continued to follow him, managing to catch up without breaking her rules on running in the hallways.

* * *

><p>"You see, wards are important and all, but what if the royal family's locked inside on accident? The answer's to install secret passages in each room…and, of course, I learned where they all are. Pretty nifty, huh?"<p>

Almaz nodded, but didn't speak. The royal couple were currently on their hands and knees, crawling their way through a small stone passage covered in walls upon walls of cobwebs. Almaz half-expected some giant, poisonous spider beast to jump out at them any second now; it was a wonder he'd never run into one in the Netherworld.

Granted, he hadn't run into bombers there before either. First time for everything, right?

"What do you suppose bombed the academy?" Sapphire asked, still talking as they crawled through the tunnel. She was in the lead, of course; probably the one perk to this whole escape route was the view Almaz was rewarded with, though he'd never admit it to anyone else.

"You think I know? It could've been anyone, just about."

"Not a demon, though. I mean, it doesn't seem very demon-like at all." Sapphire brushed a particularly large web aside, nearly throwing a spider into her husband's face. "I mean, if they blew something up, wouldn't they use their powers instead of just a bunch of bombs? And even if it worked, there'd be nothing left to rule."

"Could be someone desperate to get rid of Mao or something."

"Or someone who just wants to get rid of the academy." Sapphire paused, then added, "Still doesn't feel like a demon's doing, though."

At this, Almaz reached out to stop Sapphire. He attempted to grab her by the leg, but accidentally snagged her dress. Sapphire's hand hovered over the hilt of her pistol before she glanced over –a record for her, considering that anyone else would've been shot already.

"Little late for that, don't you think? We already left the bedroom behind, silly." Sapphire said this with a smile and perfectly innocent tone, just enough to make Almaz turn an even brighter red than his scarf. "But seriously, what is it?"

"I…" Almaz shook his head, as if he could shake the blush off his face. "I don't think you should go."

"This again? I thought I-" Sapphire stopped mid-sentence. Then, with no trace of emotion, "It's because I'm pregnant, isn't it?"

"Well, er…ah…yeah." Almaz rubbed the back of his head, staring at the floor and ignoring the spiders crawling upon it. "I mean, this situation sounds like it could be even worse than the others. And if I let either of you get hurt…"

"Almaz? That's sweet." Somehow, Sapphire had turned herself around, and was now facing Almaz. She tipped his head up with one hand, and kissed his forehead. "Now, we have two options here. One, you let me come along. Two, you make me go back…you get lost in the secret passageways…I end up sneaking out and following you along anyway…you find me later…we argue…and repeat until we get back to Option One. So, what's it going to be?"

Try as he might, Almaz could not think of a retort. The most he could come up with was, "Think of the baby, though…"

"Have you forgotten that I have healing magic?" Sapphire tilted her head to the side, once again smiling. "Trust me, the baby's the least of our problems. Now, are we going, or are we wasting time arguing?"

No, still no retort. Almaz sighed and said, "We're going. But after this, we're not getting into any dangerous adventures until the baby's born. Okay?"

Sapphire laughed. "Yes, your highness." She then turned around and continued to crawl down the tunnel, now wondering aloud about potential baby names.

Almaz did his best to quell the worry in his heart, and crawled on after his wife.

* * *

><p>Hours passed until dawn broke, shedding new light on the destruction of the school. Students with bleary eyes and sore limbs filed through the gates, heading for home under the Dean's orders. In fact, everyone was asked to get as far away from the Netherworld as possible until further notice. The members of the PTA were still going through the school to kick out any stragglers, while the Vatos Brothers were in charge of keeping the line orderly…well, as orderly as demons could manage. While a few demons protested, claiming they could hold their own in a fight, most of the student body –as well as the teachers- left Evil Academy without an argument.<p>

The exceptions to this was Mao and his council; Raspberyl, Kyoko and Asuka, Mr. Champloo, and Salvatore. Almaz and Sapphire were to arrive shortly, and Master Big Star…was still absent, a worry on everyone's mind. The other exception was Super Hero Aurum, only because he was still strapped down in Mao's room –Mao figured he'd deal with the ex-Hero later.

Mao and company were currently occupying the Dean's Office. Raspberyl was still going over statistics for the damage done, with assistance from both her lackeys. Champloo had occupied himself with making breakfast, armed with only the small kitchenette and the bathroom sink for his work. Finally, Mao and Salvatore were going over maps, which Salvatore had acquired from Space Detective Prinny Mask before his departure.

"According to das Detective," Salvatore was saying as she pointed to a map of the campus, "It is unlikely that our attacker is a member of die school –most people know not of the Home Ec. Wing, ja?"

"Yeah," Mao echoed. "Also, I can't think of any self-respecting demon who would dare use suitcase bombs. I've only seen Prinnies use bombs, and those are…ineffective, at best."

"Exactly. Now, according to das Detective…" Salvatore tipped her hat up and pointed to the edge of the map. "…All of die school is visible from these cliffs. They act as a natural barrier around die school, and are the highest point in all of die campus, excluding the Senior Classrooms…most of the time." She quickly glanced out the window, where it was visible that the Senior Classrooms were floating much lower than usual.

"So, it's possible that our attackers were able to strategize where to place the bombs by careful observation from the cliffs. Makes sense. And no one new and unusual has been spotted recently, so it's entirely possible they're still up there." Mao examined the map for a moment, before pulling out a red marker and circling part of the cliffs to the east.

"You got something, Mao?" Raspberyl asked, hopping up and peeking over the table.

"Yeah. According to my calculations, Ms. Machiko was last seen at 2:46 PM, yesterday. She was not seen at three, when she's usually visible from the windows here in the main hall." Mao tapped the circled cliffs with the edge of his marker. "Judging from her general flight patterns, and assuming she wasn't previously delayed, she must have disappeared sometime in here."

"Such impressive deduction!" Asuka called, glancing up from her list.

"Indeed," Kyoko echoed. "He must have such dedication to map a Succubus's movements so precisely."

"That better not be sarcasm I hear," Mao growled from the table, before resuming to his map. "Anyway, I also have reason to believe they're hiding here, since the east side of campus took the least amount of damage –ergo, the attackers were less likely to be hit by their own bombs."

"Assuming they fear being hurt," Mr. Champloo added from the kitchenette, currently flipping a batch of pancakes. "I doubt these are amateur chefs attempting to cook fugu fish without considering the poison."

"Since when were fish involved?" Salvatore asked.

Before anyone could answer, there was a knock on the door shortly before it swung open. Sapphire entered, with Almaz close behind as he shut the door.

"Sapphire! Almaz!" Raspberyl ran over as her lackeys echoed greetings. Sapphire immediately scooped the tiny demon into a hug before letting her go. Almaz opted to shake her hand and say, "Good to see you. How's it going?"

"Oh, you're not missing much," Mao said, absently waving the duo away. "Just the start of our battle plan to crush those who dare attack my school. Oh, and breakfast."

"You're actually just in time, boom!" Mr. Champloo entered the room with plates full of pancakes, balancing them on top of each other like towers as he passed a plate to each of the room's occupants. He served Almaz last with a hearty slap on the back. "How goes the menu of Rhodonite?"

"Pretty good sir," Almaz said, taking his plate with a nod. Lowering his voice, he asked, "How's Mao holding up?"

The chef and delinquent exchanged glances, with Champloo being the first to speak. "He nearly dissolved in the chaos of the kitchen like marshmallows in cocoa, but he seems to have a grasp on his cup now."

"I'm not sure how many breakdowns have been averted," Raspberyl clarified. "I mean, Mao's keeping cool for now, but I'm not sure how long he can keep it up without us."

"That doesn't sound like eating!" Mao called through a mouthful of food, as he pointed out the map to Sapphire.

"Have some faith in the boy, young one! Long as you're there for him, he'll be fine." With a pat on the back and a laugh, Champloo wandered off to grab the orange juice.

Almaz turned to Raspberyl, whose pancake plate was almost larger than herself. "He's got a point. We'll get through this, alright?"

Beryl stared at her breakfast for a moment before putting on another smile. "Of course! Just like everything else!"

Hopefully, they'd be right.


	4. 4: Sole Survivor

The first battle plan was simple. Foolhardy, even. It was a direct confrontation on the cliffs, arriving via teleporter. If the attackers weren't found immediately, the gang would split into groups of two and search the grounds. After that, Mao summarized, would be the fun part; giving those fools what's coming to them.

…And this plan might have worked, had everyone been at the camp. Yes, the suspicion of the camp being on the eastern cliffs was correct. But the attackers being there…that was a different story.

Kyoko and Asuka were the first to stumble upon the camp, after the group had split to search. There wasn't much left; a few strips of stained cloth on the ground, a peg from a tent, some ashes from a campfire…

…And Master Big Star being held between trees by hooks in his wings. His normally clean clothes and white wings were all torn and bloodied, and his breaths were shallow. At least he was unconscious, as opposed to dead.

"Guys! The camp's over here!" Kyoko shouted, as Asuka examined the hooks. By the time the others arrived, the girls had just dislodged the Sophomore Class Leader, hoisting him up by the shoulders.

"Oh my…who would do something like this?" Raspberyl exclaimed, as Sapphire rushed in and began her healing spells.

"No idea." Mao turned to Kyoko and Asuka. "Have you seen anyone else here?"

"No sir," they both chimed. Askua added, "He was the only one here. If they still have the other students, they're long gone by now."

Mao began swearing under his breath as he wandered around the perimeter of the campground. He could make out tracks if he looked closely. Mostly boots, and some tire tracks heading further east. And…here were some footprints without shoes. In fact, they were human –not demon, for there weren't any claws. Mao followed the tracks a few paces away from the camp, which led him further into an outcrop of trees. Something crunched under his foot, and he glanced down to see what it was.

"Oh…that's where the flying students went." Mao backed away from the pile, head reeling from the overwhelming smell of blood and rot just beginning to set in. And what was this queasiness in his stomach? Surely, he'd seen worse. He'd been in tons of battles.

_"But those were battles. This is…this is torture."_

Something in the pile twitched. Mao flinched and began unsheathing his sword, only to realize it was a moth buried in the pile.

"Hey. You alive in there?"

No response. Mao rolled back his sleeves and reached in with one hand, covering his mouth with the other. The moth he pulled out was battered and scarred, with one violet wing completely ripped off. It coughed as it breathed in fresh air, before its antennae perked up.

"Lord…Lord Mao?"

"That's my name. What happened?"

The moth shuddered in his grasp.

"Come on! I need to know what I'm up against!" He shook the moth, which let out a pitiful shriek. Mao's eyes widened, as he silently scooped it into his arms and doubled back to the camp. The party was still around Master Big Star, save for Mr. Champloo, who was…absent, for some reason. He'd been here when they arrived, right?

The others glanced up at his arrival, but Sapphire was still in the middle of her healing spells. Raspberyl wandered over instead, pulling out some bandages. The moth cringed at the touch, but was still and silent otherwise.

"This is horrible," Beryl muttered as she worked. "Who would…?"

"I have no clue. But they're going to pay." Mao clutched his sleeves, the fabric tearing under his nails. "Whoever did this will regret the day they arrived in my Netherworld."

The camp drifted into silence once more. Leaving Beryl to her work, Mao rejoined the others around Master Big Star, who was still unconscious.

"Any progress?"

"His wounds aren't looking so bad anymore." Almaz tore his eyes from the scene, then glanced around. "Say…where did Master go?"

"Mr. Champloo? I was about to ask you the same thing."

* * *

><p>It couldn't be true, could it?<p>

Mr. Champloo followed the tire tracks out of the camp, making sure no one was following. He'd been suspicious when he saw the bombs, but thought it was simple paranoia. But between seeing Master Big Star and catching a glimpse at Mao's find…

"Champloo? Is that you?"

Champloo stopped, tilting his head toward the voice. His expression was a controlled blank.

"Why, if it isn't Cinder. Didn't expect you'd follow me here."

"Trust me, we didn't arrive for you." The figure who stepped out of the trees was tall and lanky, covered in a gray trench coat, gloves, boots, and a gas mask. All that was visible was a bit of white skin –almost too white- with ears that had no point, and thinning brown hair in dire need of a haircut. A backpack was slung over his shoulder, and he held a suitcase –or a suitcase bomb- in one hand.

"Then if you do anything for me, you should leave." Mr. Champloo pointed further into the forest and added, "Boom."

"Oh, Champloo." Cinder stepped forward, his laughter scarcely audible. "Has being a demon so long caused you to forget our mission?"

"Nah. More like I realized how foolish the mission is."

"Foolish? Really?" Cinder tilted his head to the side. "And what would Celine say to that?"

Champloo's fists began to tremble, not from fear, but from the rage beginning to build inside them. "Like a fly in the soup, you're an unwelcome guest here. This academy is my kitchen, and none of us have dared confront the human world, if that's your excuse." He couldn't keep the growl out of his voice when he finished, "Now, grab the others, and get out."

Cinder didn't respond. Instead, he backed up a step, and pulled a sphere from his backpack with one word.

"Boom."

The bomb spun towards him, only to be struck aside by Champloo's fist. Cinder smiled and threw three this time, all of which were deflected by one swift kick. The explosions rocked the trees, and Champloo charged forward with a Shredder Kick. Cinder used his suitcase as a makeshift shield, which dented under the force of the blow. Champloo used the impact to kick off, ricochet off a tree, and attempt a strike from above. He threw a bomb aside and landed a kick into Cinder's shoulder, causing him to drop the suitcase.

Landing on the ground, Mr. Champloo attempted to start a Chef's Special combo, only for Cinder to catch the fist and slam a small bomb onto the knuckles. When Champloo backed off to pry the bomb off, Cinder scooped up his suitcase and began to run. Champloo, of course, ran after him.

"Hunting me down now, are you?" Cinder called, his voice still resting between calm and amused. "My my. Being a demon has changed you."

"You'll eat those words! Boom!" Mr. Champloo began to channel a Burning Palm attack, only to waste the shot on an incoming bomb. Far behind him, one of the students began to call his name.

"I tire of this." Cinder turned around, now running backwards, as he held a small black box between his fingers. "I'll tell the others you say hello. I'm sure they'll be thrilled by the news."

With that, the box was thrown, releasing clouds of billowing smoke. Champloo stumbled to a stop, batting the smoke away as he coughed. Why had he fallen for that? He knew that trick. He'd seen it a million times before, he-

"Master Champloo! Are you alright?"

Stepping out of the smoke, Mr. Champloo saw Almaz running toward him. Champloo just nodded, wiping the dust from his face.

"I'm fine –don't worry about me. Unfortunately, the ingredients in this list are…less than savory."

Almaz nodded. "I figured. We heard explosions…what just happened? Was that the person who bombed the school?"

The two began to walk back to the camp. "That he was, boom! And he's not alone." Before Almaz could question him, Champloo continued, "We've got a group of Demon Hunters in our Netherworld, kid. And…"

Almaz raised an eyebrow. "And?"

For once, Mr. Champloo wasn't sure exactly what to say. "Well, hate to be the pessimist, but I'm not so sure we have the spices to sabotage their dish."

Almaz's eyes widened. "How do you know, sir?"

For a minute, Mr. Champloo didn't say anything. He didn't _want_ to say anything. But if they were going to get out of this alive…

"Let's just say I've run into them before. Come on; the others are waiting for us…boom!"

* * *

><p>"You're late."<p>

Cinder shrugged as he passed. "Just cleaning up my tracks. And Magnum, you'll never guess who I found."

Magnum strode in-step beside him, her sniper rifle hefted over her shoulder. Their outfits were similar, save that she replaced the trench coat with armor and the gas mask with an actual helmet, and the hair that snuck from under her helmet was blonde. "Who would that be?"

"Champloo."

If Magnum was surprised, she didn't show it. Granted, with her helmet covering her face, there was no way to read her expression. "I see. Has he been cured of his…condition?"

Cinder covered his mouth when he chuckled, out of habit more than anything. "Still a full-blooded demon, I'm afraid to say. In fact, he seems to prefer his new comrades to us." Cinder tilted his head and watched Magnum as he finished, "I find that rather…regrettable. Don't you?"

Ever so slightly, Magnum tensed. "Sometimes, good people fall into bad things. That's not our problem. You know what will happen when he crosses our path. Same as any other demon."

For once, Cinder just nodded, no laughter included. "That's all? No lost love for our-"

"He attacked you, did he not?" As proof, the sniper brushed some ash from Cinder's shoulders. "Therefore, he is the enemy. We will show no mercy when we meet."

With a shake of the head, Cinder adjusted the straps of his backpack before putting his hands in his pockets. "When I said you two were opposites, I never imagined how right I was."

He got no response. He didn't expect one.

* * *

><p>Light. Light slowly filtering in from above.<p>

"He's coming to!"

Noise. What was that? Who? Was it _them _again?

"Everyone, out of die way! Give the man some room!"

No. It was someone else. Good people. But who…?

Master Big Star opened his eyes, staring at the swirling chaos of red and black clouds above. Salvatore was leaning over him, crimson eyes blinking slowly.

"How are you feeling? Not delirious or anything, are we?"

Shaking his head, Master Big Star sat up, wincing at the pain that ran down his spine when he did so. He realized that Mao and the others were also here, though his previous captors were nowhere in sight.

"I…I think I'm well enough, considering the circumstances." At this point, Big Star noticed his own form –just seeing his clothes torn and bloodied was bad enough, but look at these scars! There were claw marks all over his hands and limbs, not to mention the pain in his wings.

"Sorry I couldn't heal you better. The wounds are pretty deep." Sapphire crouched next to him, green eyes ever-so-slightly dulled. "But you should be well enough for us to get out of here. Can you stand?"

"Just a minute." Master Big Star spotted Mao and bowed his head. "My apologies. I was unable to deliver your warning in time. The bomb-"

"We'll talk about that later." Mao's words were clipped and stern, his eyes harsh. "What happened to you? You…I don't even know where to begin with how you look."

As Raspberyl chastised Mao for asking such sensitive information so quickly, Master Big Star took Sapphire's offered hand and got to his feet. He wavered for a moment before both Sapphire and Salvatore put their hands on his shoulders.

"No. It's alright." Master Big Star took a deep breath, then stared straight into Mao's eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, there are at least five attackers. Two females, three males, dressed in masks and gray armor. And all of them have an apparent vendetta against demons."

"Like a dish left on high heat too long, they're demon hunters burnt beyond recognition."

Everyone turned to see Mr. Champloo and Almaz return. Champloo was covered in bits of dust and debris, and his expression was unusually stern.

"Demon hunters?" Kyoko and Asuka asked in unison, both putting a protective arm around Raspberyl. Champloo nodded, and turned to Master Big Star.

"Let me guess what happened. You were shot down by a sniper rifle, stuffed in a cage, and…" The Home Ec. Teacher paused, looking over the Sophomore Class Leader. "…I'm actually at a loss after that. The marks look only vaguely familiar."

"You're correct on the first part," Big Star agreed, before anyone else could comment. "As with the other flying students, I was shot out of the sky, bound, gagged, and placed in a cage. I am unsure if the other students were similarly imprisoned."

As he spoke, the memories snuck back in. The cold metal against his wrists. The screams of demons he couldn't see. The claws…

"…One of the hunters, apparently by the name of Psyche, broke into my cage, planning to use me as bait to lure the rest of you out –or perhaps just chase me. I am…unsure."

There was a high-pitched shriek at the mention of Psyche. Master Big Star noticed a wounded moth in Raspberyl's arms. At the same time, there was a flash of expression across the face of the Home Economics teacher…it almost looked like rage, but it was gone before Master Big Star could be sure. He continued talking instead.

"The bombs went off, as you are well aware, I'm sure. The hunters slept for a few hours, then began to speak –I was unable to hear their plans. Half the hunters left before dawn. The rest were left to clean up camp, and…" His head felt light; Salvatore's grip on his shoulder tightened. "…Leave warnings. Such as myself."

The party had two reactions to this. Half of the party, such as Almaz and Raspberyl, cried in outrage about such treatment. The other half, such as Mao and Mr. Champloo forced themselves to be silent, their fists shaking with a rage they could scarcely control.

"They're monsters, yes," Sapphire finally stated, as the others went silent to listen. "And already, they've done horrible things. But standing here won't stop them." Sapphire turned to the others and continued, "We should head back and make a plan. For starters, I think…"

Master Big Star, in normal circumstances, would have been interested in the rest of the conversation, especially where planning was concerned. However, the world was spinning just a little too much right now…

"Hey! Master Big Star?"

That's the last he heard before the world went black once more.


	5. 5: When the War Comes

All across the Netherworld, a message was heard from the Dean. His words echoed through the ears of every demon, and all of them shuddered as soon as he spoke.

"Students and faculty of the Nether Institute, Evil Academy. This is Overlord Mao speaking." For a moment, he sounded worn out. But as he continued his speech, the weariness was replaced with outrage, volume rising to a shout. "As you know, our school is under attack by demon hunters. Now, as all demons should, you surely feel outrage for this!"

A few young children shrieked at the Overlord's scream, while other demons shouted in agreement. Every demon was huddled around a radio or an intercom, desperate for their leader's plan.

"However! We can't have any of you getting in my way as I completely obliterate these fools!" All the demons went silent at this announcement as Mao continued, "So, if you don't want your ass kicked to kingdom come –or worse, be forced to graduate- you'll hightail it out of here. Go home, go to another Netherworld, wherever! Just don't get in my way at the academy!"

Muttered conversations sprung up as soon as the message ended. Some argued over where to go, and others, whether or not they should obey their leader's request.

Mao didn't have to be there to know what would happen. The vast majority of his followers would leave, and the others would hide. Those foolish enough not to would learn their lessons quickly, or become the hunter's next prey. But he couldn't stop every idiot, not now. He had a job to do.

A rush of darkness filled his heart, but before it could spread, Mao heard Raspberyl's voice. He hadn't even heard her open the door.

"I know you make it sound like they're all nuisances, but…" She stared at him with those big magenta eyes of hers, wings fluttering softly. "I know you're just getting them out so they'll be safe. Just…in your own way."

The hate and fury in his heart died down as Raspberyl spoke; Mao found it a most curious reaction. It wasn't even a cool-down hug, as she'd tried with the previous awakenings of his dark side. Just words. How did that even work?

"Don't be stupid, Beryl. We already have enough people to look out for."

With that, Mao and Raspberyl left the room. Now that the students were warned, it was time to prepare for the ensuing fight.

Who knew how much time they had.

* * *

><p>To fight the enemy, one must know the enemy. This was a fact Mao knew well, whether it involved careful observation or reading strategy guides off the internet. In this case, no one in the group had ever observed these hunters, or even knew where one would find out about them. Except…<p>

"Mr. Champloo, earlier, it sounded like…you knew these hunters." Sapphire was the one speaking, as the group was gathered once more in the Dean's Office, all of them seated around the map-covered table. The only exceptions were Kyoko and Asuka, who had been charged with returning the injured moth to its family.

Champloo nodded, sitting cross-legged and in the process of peeling potatoes. "You could say that. I've even had the dubious honor of being their target once. Boom!" Another potato went into a pile, and Mao edged away from the separate pile of peels growing next to him.

"Start explaining what you know, then," He stated. "And be careful where you throw those peels!"

Mr. Champloo laughed at this, but once he started talking about the hunters, his tone and expression quickly darkened. His slices became slower and more controlled, as if trying to keep an outburst at bay. Considering how the teacher usually embraced his excitement and emotions, seeing him hold back was more than unnerving.

According to Champloo, the five hunters were all humans who believed themselves wronged by demons. Some had members die at demon hands, others grew up with horror stories of their monstrosities, and at least one simply came along for the challenge of smiting the dark beasts. With these reasons locked in their hearts, they strode into their first Netherworld and began their slaughter. But it wasn't just the Overlord; no, they killed everybody. And then, they went to another Netherworld, and repeated the process again. And again. And again.

This process had, apparently, been going on for a few thousand years.

"But humans don't live that long," Almaz interjected. "I mean, we're lucky if we live past a hundred."

"You humans are so short-lived!" Mao shot back. "Most demons are still in diapers at that age!"

As Almaz muttered something about 'not rubbing it in,' Champloo explained, "Most likely, it's the same case as Sir Aurum and our previous Overlord. Their mission burns so strongly in their hearts, they even surpass death in order to keep going. And at this rate, they won't die until every demon is destroyed." As he said this, he tossed another potato toward the pile; it was ever-so-slightly off, exploding into a mess on the floor. "Boom! Er…I'll get that."

Champloo practically darted out of his seat to grab a towel to clean up. He didn't seem to like sitting still for long. The others waited a moment for him to return, and Salvatore took the moment to grab more bandages for Master Big Star –he was conscious again, though notably pale and quiet.

Once Mr. Champloo returned, he began to explain who their opponents were. The one who was strongest in terms of raw power was Enoch, who claimed himself to be a paladin. He was generally the most well-armored, while he preferred to fight with blades and holy magic. The only other magic in the group belonged to O'Xion (apparently pronounced like ocean), whose spells concerned illusions and dreams.

The member who'd bombed the school was Cinder, who was obviously a master of explosives. According to Champloo, he was also one of the main strategists.. As for Psyche, the man who injured Master Big Star and the moths…from what Champloo remembered, his role was to sneak up on unsuspecting targets and take them out with knives he'd carved from an Overlord's fang. But last Champloo had seen them, the man wasn't crazy enough to torture anyone.

Mr. Champloo stopped talking at that point, focusing his attention on the current potato being peeled. The others exchanged glances before Sapphire asked, "And…?"

"And what?"

"You said there were five. You've only explained four of them."

Mr. Champloo nodded, the knife in his hands moving so slow, it was almost as if he froze. All eyes were on the Home Economics Teacher (save for Raspberyl, who decided that Kyoko and Asuka should've been back by now, and got up to check on them).

"Nyahaha. I almost forgot. The fifth one." Another pause, and when he spoke again, his voice was far softer than it had been earlier. "Magnum's technically the leader of the group, as well as a master of firearms. Boom." He turned to Master Big Star and added, "She's the one who sniped your wings. When she puts her mind to it, she never misses a target."

Almaz raised an eyebrow at the teacher's voice as he continued to explain about Magnum. He almost sounded, ever so slightly…proud of this woman. That, or Almaz was hearing things. Yeah, that had to be it.

Once he was done explaining, the group began to discuss plans on how to deal with these hunters. Unfortunately, most of them were shot down –Mr. Champloo was able to describe a way for the hunters to plausibly get past every obstacle. This only led to Mao, Salvatore, and Sapphire getting more and more agitated. For Mao, this only got worse once he realized Raspberyl had run off.

"Didn't I tell her to stay here?" He growled as he tossed his coat on, storming out the door. "Why can't that stupid delinquent do what she's told?"

The door slammed behind him with such force, it nearly shattered. Champloo excused himself to move his potatoes into the kitchen, and Salvatore was snapping at Master Big Star to hold still while she bandaged him up. This left Almaz and Sapphire to talk amongst themselves.

"I don't think I've ever seen the Netherworld so serious," Sapphire commented, staring at the ceiling with her hands wrapped around her knees. "I mean, I don't think I heard one cooking metaphor in that whole explanation."

"It's definitely worrisome." Almaz sighed, leaning his head on Sapphire's shoulder. "But we're stuck here, aren't we?"

"What would we be if we didn't help?" Sapphire glanced at the empty seats of Mao, Raspberyl, Asuka, and Kyoko. "Think they're alright?"

"I think no matter what I think, I'll be wrong." Almaz got to his feet and began to stretch. "I'd suggest going on a walk right now, but there's a pretty good chance our heads would get sniped, isn't there?"

"Now you're being paranoid." Sapphire also stood up, taking his hand and pulling him towards the door. "Besides, you never show such fear to your enemies. They seem to pick up on that."

Before he could argue, Almaz was dragged out of the office. He sighed once more, and held Sapphire close to him. The least he could do was make sure she –and their child- remained safe while they were here. Well, as safe as they could possibly be with five psychotic demon hunters around.

Thoughts like that had Almaz worried that they were screwed beyond belief.

* * *

><p>As they headed back for the academy, Kyoko and Asuka were still thanking their lucky stars. They'd caught up with the young moth's family as they were literally stepping (well, flying) out the door. It was simultaneously heartbreaking and touching, the way the parents cried when reunited with their injured child. They heard the moth family's thanks until they were well out of sight, and all that was left now was to head back.<p>

Kyoko stopped, holding her hand up as Asuka bumped into her. The samurai almost spoke, but catching her friend's reaction, she bit her tongue and looked around. They were currently in a chasm, a mesh of linoleum tiling and dust-laden rocks surrounded by obsidian walls that reflected the travelers like black glass. A few scraggly trees, growing out of the obsidian cliff face with lanterns instead of leaves, lit their path.

There was a snap.

Kyoko flicked a throwing star toward the noise before Asuka even had a chance to get her spear out. The throwing star flew through the air until blocked by a glowing white sigil that vanished as quickly as it appeared. The throwing star clattered to the ground, kicking up dust as it landed.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Asuka brandished her spear toward the direction of the sigil, and Kyoko was pulling out her kusari gama, spinning the chained blade in slow circles.

Their challenge was answered by three blades of light flying at them from above. The girls leapt out of the way, as a heavily-armored figure plummeted to the floor. He landed on his feet and was already pulling out his sword, which Kyoko tried to pull away by wrapping the chain of her kusari gama around the man's blade. It had the opposite effect; the man simply swung his blade through the air, and the chains snapped. The sword began to glow with a soft white light.

He pointed the sword at the girls, and his voice a low rumble, said, "Demons. If you want a chance at repentance, speak now before I send you to your graves."

"You didn't give our classmates such a chance." Asuka ran forward and used her blade to vault over the armored fighter. She landed behind him and tried to strike, but he whirled around and caught her spear with one gauntlet-covered hand. He pulled the spear and threw it –and Asuka with it- toward Kyoko. The ninja rolled out of the way and threw more throwing stars as Asuka flipped to land on her feet, still clutching her spear. The man dodged the thrown stars, and his free hand began to make signs in the air.

The duo decided to combine their attacks this time. Kyoko ran forward for a Triple Strike on the man, which would also shove him into the path for Asuka's Crane Dance. Unfortunately, he managed to catch the first fist she threw, and lobbed her into the way of Asuka's attack. The two girls collided into each other, hitting the ground just as a sigil appeared underneath them. The runes glowed white, growing brighter and brighter as the girls got to their feet.

"If you wish to avoid pain, pray that your soul doesn't cling to your body any longer than it must." The man called, raising his sword above his head. Above the girls, a cluster of glowing blades hovered, and the duo realized they could not pass the edge of the sigil.

His sword –and the blades- began to lower.

"Stop right there!"

Everything stopped, and the armored man turned toward the new voice. There in the entry to the chasm stood Raspberyl. The light from the fire blazing in her hand reflected all along the obsidian walls.

"If you think you're going to kill my friends, you'd better think again." Raspberyl lopped a fireball at the stranger, shouting, "I'll show you what happens when you cross the Netherworld's number-one delinquent!"

For a moment, the girls thought the armored man would be shocked by their lady's arrival. Instead, they heard his voice as he dodged the fireball.

He was laughing. And he brought his sword crashing down.

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger~! Oh, and quick note: a Kusari-Gama, for those who don't know, is simply a chain with a blade on one end, and a weight on the other. I figured that's what Kyoko uses in her Lily Elegy attack. You're welcome for the alleviation in your confusion. Until next time~<strong>


End file.
